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F1 Power Rankings: Near-perfect Verstappen moves closer to Norris
- Corwin Kunst
Max Verstappen has been awarded the highest mark in the Formula 1 Power Rankings after the Brazilian Grand Prix. The Red Bull Racing driver earned a 9.8 rating, while Lando Norris, the leader in this ranking, had to settle for a 7.0. Verstappen is now close to his World Championship rival, sitting within a tenth of a point.
Sunday looked set to be a painful day for Verstappen thanks to an elimination in Q2 topped by a five-place grid penalty for changing his internal combustion engine. 'Just a few hours later, the Dutchman went from P17 to victory with a wet-weather drive for the ages. A red flag worked in his favour this time, but our judges could take barely anything away from the performance he delivered around it.'
Esteban Ocon, the runner-up in Sao Paulo, received a 9.4, with his teammate and countryman Pierre Gasly able to get an 8.6 after the 21st Grand Prix of the season. The Frenchman did have to share his third spot with Yuki Tsunoda as the VCARB driver also received an 8.6. George Russell (8.2) and Liam Lawson (7.8) were ranked fifth and sixth with their ratings.
Norris can be found, along with Charles Leclerc, in shared seventh place. The Briton lost the race lead to George Russell off the line, and then a red flag halfway through did not help his progress after already stopping: 'While Russell recovered to fourth, Norris had a couple of off-track excursions and eventually came home sixth – rival Verstappen’s win serving as a blow to his title chances.'
With three Grands Prix to go, Norris still leads the Power Rankings standings. His season average is an 8.3, with Verstappen now at an 8.2.
Power Rankings after the Brazilian Grand Prix
This article was written in collaboration with Olly Darcy
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